Blue Velvet
Location: 9/10 Blue Velvet shines in its location. The shop, located at 217 W N Loop Blvd, is only a short drive from McCallum, and it is tucked away in between Breakaway Records and Epoch Coffee. The location allows for a full-on hangout and adds to Blue Velvet’s overall chill, cozy aesthetic.
Aesthetic/Space: 7/10 Although Blue Velvet has an unmistakable homey energy, the space is admittedly on the smaller side. It doesn’t hurt its rating too badly, though, as the shop packs in plenty of clothing and accessories in the limited space.
Quality of Clothing: 8/10 Despite the smaller collection, Blue Velvet’s clothes still manage to stick out in an entirely positive way. The shop specializes in colorful pieces fit for a whimsical, maximalist aesthetic. They offer a wide array of accessories and clothes of all types, from sweaters to belts to rings. The shop definitely leans more feminine in the collection, but they offer both men’s, women’s, and gender neutral attire.
Price: 4/10 Blue Velvet’s pricing is reflective of their overall level of curation, which lends itself to being more on the expensive side. If you’re looking for a more classic thrift store, with cheap finds and hidden gems, then Blue Velvet might not be for you. On the other hand, if you’re just looking for something cute and easy, and you’re willing to pay more retail-esque prices, then I would absolutely recommend Blue Velvet.
Overall: 7/10 Blue Velvet is a cute, curated consignment shop that’s perfect for the colorful, whimsical girl.
Uptown Cheapskate (North Austin)
Location: 6/10 Uptown Cheapskate (North Austin) is located at 7501 Burnet Road. The store’s location isn’t its main draw, but there are a few close-by food options like Top Notch Hamburgers and Wow Poke.
Aesthetic/Space: 9/10 Uptown Cheapskate stands out in their large space and larger collection of clothes. The store holds rows and rows of anything you can imagine. As for aesthetics, the large space is decorated with vibrant colors and art.
Quality of Clothing: 8/10 The store benefits from the idea that if you have enough clothes, some of them are bound to be cute. Although it might take some searching, Uptown Cheapskate is home to countless cute items from impressive, trusted brands.
Price: 7/10 Uptown Cheapskate balances between thrift and consignment, but its abundance of cheap finds tips it more on the thrift scale. Although the shop has its expensive pieces, it’s not too hard to find affordable options.
Overall: 8/10 Uptown Cheapskate sticks out as a store perfect for getting lost in, with what feels like miles of fun clothes and hidden gems.
Revival Vintage
Location: 7/10 Revival Vintage, located at 5201 N Lamar Blvd, has a variety of close-by options for food, fun and thrifting. Across from it, you can find Austin Books & Comics, while Blue Velvet and its nearby shops are only a short walk away.
Aesthetic/Space: 8/10 Walking into Revival Vintage, you can immediately get a feel for the calm, collected vibe. The store is decorated with its own wares, which creates a soft ambience. As for the space, the store is large and has multiple sections to explore. There is both furniture and clothing, so the selections are slightly smaller.
Quality of Clothing: 10/10 Revival Vintage specializes in authentic vintage clothing, dating back to at least the 60’s. Although the clothing collection isn’t the largest, it’s jam-packed with retro, fun pieces.
Quality of Furniture: 9/10 Revival Vintage keeps up the pace with its beautiful vintage furniture selection. The gorgeously curated collection features anything you can imagine, from mirrors to rugs to tables.
Price: 3/10 This quality in the wardrobe does reflect on the price, though. The clothes tend to be more on the expensive side, and it leans more towards a consignment/vintage style store. As for the furniture, I would consider the prices more impressive and appropriate for what is being sold.
Overall: 8/10 Revival Vintage is the perfect store for someone willing to spend a fair chunk of change on something beautiful and antique.
Out of the Closet
Location: 10/10 Out of the Closet thrift, located at 2927 Guadalupe St, is in just about the perfect spot for a thrift store. It stands directly across from Pavement and Leopard Lounge, two popular thrift stores, and is close to Antone’s Record Shop, Buffalo Exchange and a few other gems on Guadalupe Street.
Aesthetic/Space: 8/10 Out of the Closet is a bright, loud store, decorated with campy fun. It embraces its queer culture and stands out for its unwavering use of color. The store itself is large, though it only holds so many clothes.
Quality of Clothing: 4/10 Out of the Closet is a rare find in Austin, in that it is a true thrift store. Not every piece in the shop is perfectly curated, but it’s not impossible to find some eye-catching pieces in the racks.
Quality of Other Merchandise: 6/10 You can also find a multitude of other stock at Out of the Closet. The store has books, furniture, and more – but it sticks out in its book rack in particular.
Price: 8/10 The thrifty nature of Out of the Closet is reflected in the shop’s prices, as well. There are consistent deals, with items often as low as a single dollar.
EXTRA! Out of the Closet works as a free HIV testing clinic. It is run as a non-profit, and almost all of the money spent goes back into the clinics.
Overall: 6/10 Out of the Closet is a perfect thrift store for someone who’s looking to truly thrift, sifting through racks hunting for treasure. It’s an extra bonus that the treasure helps others, too.
Thrift @ The Warehouse
Location: 7/10 Although Thrift @ The Warehouse, located at 1104 W 34th St, isn’t directly neighboring anything, its location allows for only a short drive to get to practically anything you want.
Aesthetic/Space: 8/10 Thrift @ The Warehouse lives up to its name in that it’s a very large space and it’s filled to the brim with clothes. The grey interior creates an almost industrial feel, but it’s contrasted with the welcoming aura the clothes bring in.
Quality of Clothing: 10/10 Thrift @ The Warehouse cements its status as my current favorite thrift store in its incredible selection of clothes. It’s curated but not too curated, full of whimsical, Y2K, 90’s, etc. clothing. There is absolutely nothing not to love about the clothing selection Thrift @ The Warehouse offers.
Price: 9/10 The store once again sets itself apart through the pricing of these clothes. It’s rare to find anything overly expensive, and it’s incredibly easy to find something cheap. The store also includes a large 5-dollar selection that includes numerous beautiful pieces.
Overall: 9/10 To me, Thrift @ The Warehouse is reminiscent of a cheaper, more curated Pavement. It’s perfect for a fanciful, adventurous shopper on a budget, and it’s certainly worth a trip for anyone.
![JONES TAKES THE LEAD: Junior Paityn Jones sings alongside co-star Pablo Arteaga in ‘Something to Hold Onto’ during act two of the McCallum Theater’s production of “Between the Lines.” Jones was cast in the lead role of Delilah in early May when auditions for the play were held, and began rehearsing in August.
“This is the longest process I’ve had since I’ve been doing theatre here,” Jones said. “It was so useful not only towards making our show better but for building a stronger connection with our cast.”
The unusually long rehearsal process posed some challenges to cast members, but it was nothing to complain about, according to Jones.
“It was hard because people had less free days and rehearsals began overlapping with events that typically are after we’ve already performed,” Jones said. “However, none of us felt the need to complain because we all equally enjoy being at rehearsals, and we do it because it makes us happy.”
Receiving the lead role came as a surprise to Jones, but she made the most of it and worked for months to prepare for the show.
“This role has definitely been the most challenging role I’ve had in many ways,” Jones said. “I was not at all expecting to play Delilah, so when I got the opportunity, I spent all summer working on it.”
Learning to play a character that was so different from herself in real life was difficult for Jones, as were some of the songs.
“[Delilah's] character is so different from me in real life, so I had to really do my homework on her,” Jones said. “Not only was it hard to act the part, but also to sing it, there were notes in her songs that I had never hit before and didn’t believe in myself to do, but I got to work with all of the wonderful directors on how to reach those hard notes.”
Even with the long rehearsals and difficult songs, Jones is proud of all the work put in by herself and the entire cast to create this year's showing of “Between the Lines”.
“I am so proud of us for putting our hearts and souls into this performance because we truly gave it our all,” Jones said. “Everyone truly deserves their flowers for how talented and special they are.”
Caption by Daniela Di-Capua.](https://macshieldonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/54913435589_6b54cb1bfe_o-1200x798.jpg)
